Cleanse
by Bexs113
Summary: Separated from the gang, Kagome and Inuyasha come across a nasty swamp demon. Covered in mud and much, Kagome helps a partially paralyzed Inuyasha get clean. Warning: High levels of fluff.
1. Chapter 1

"WIND SCAR!" Inuyasha's cry was punctuated by a deafening bang. The cries of the defeated swamp demon were inaudible against the wind. A wave of mud, blood, and demon parts rained down from the explosion.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha grabbed kagome around the waist, pulling her to his chest, trying to shelter her against the sloppy wall of sludge and blood. It was no use; they were already chest deep in putrid waste.

"Oh god." Kagome moaned. Bits of demon guts stuck in her raven hair.

The smell was so horrendous that Inuyasha's head started to spin, "focus, Kagome." The grip on her waist tightened and he drew strength from her closeness. "Where's the jewel shard?"

Groaning she said, "Oh god, I need a bath."

"Shard first. Bath second. Come on!" He gritted through clenched teeth. He tried desperately to cling to the extremely faint scent of jasmine that normally wafted from the top of her head.

Kagome looked around carefully, "Over there! It's in the palm of the demon's hand." She pointed to the place where the demon claw was floating half concealed by mud.

"I got it. You start making your way over to shore." Inuyasha said. Kagome gave him a curt nod.

Inuyasha held his breath and made slow progress towards the severed claw. Muttering angrily under his breath as he went "Had to be a fucking swamp demon. Couldn't be a sheep demon or something on dry land. Nooo of course fucking not."

He gripped the claw. As he reached for the shard he heard Kagome scream, "Inuyasha behind you!"

As he turned he felt a stinger pushing straight into is right shoulder. "AH!" Slipping back into sludge, the taste of mud covered his tongue. "Fuck!" Inuyasha sputtered and pushed himself back up right. He ripped the stinger out with one hand, flinging it into the air, coating his claws with blood. Crying out, "Blades of blood!" he vaporized the sting in one move. Flecks of demon spattered all over his muddied face. "Fuck fuck fuck!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out wading over to him "Are you alright?!" Panic was all over her face.

"I'm fine." Panting he gripped his shoulder. He was not fine. He was losing feeling in his legs and arms. God damnit, he thought, I'm becoming paralyzed. Kagome caught him around the wrist as he started to sink back into the mud.

"No you're not, Inuyasha. Can you move? Stay with me." Her brown eyes looked frightened.

"It's going to be ok Kagome. It'll pass." He felt so numb.

"Ok we need to get out of here." Kagome gagged on the smell as she gripped his arms, turning him so she could drag him against her chest.

"The shard Kagome. Get that first then worry about me. We aren't going to make it far if that thing regenerates."

"Right" Kagome pulled a mud-caked arrow from her quiver, wiping the tip on her already drenched blouse. She pulled Inuyasha to rest against her shoulder.

"Be careful woman." He growled as she stabbed the claw with the arrow. The soft light melted the flesh away leaving one shard lying a top the stagnant water.

"All this trouble...," Sighing, Kagome placed the shard into the now dirty bottle. Shoving it back into her submerged skirt pocket, she heaved Inuyasha under his arms she made her way back to shore, dragging him along with her, grunting as she pulled him onto dry land. Damn, she thought. She had lost her bag and bike in the battle; both were probably at the bottom of the swamp. She had nothing to begin cleaning them up.

"Ok Inuyasha. We need to get out of here, hopefully to a river or something, she said, her resolve hardening with each word.

He stared up at her with disbelief, "Keh! As if I can move upon your sheer will alone. Well I hate to tell you that you're shit out of luck."

Kagome knew she couldn't bare his weight by herself. She looked around the land, wet and scarred up from battle. Her eyes fell on a large sapling flattened against the ground.

"I may not be able to carry you dog-boy, but I can drag you," she said with a slight grin. Her triumph dissipating as she looked at Inuyasha. His body was covered head to toe in dark mud, his eyes were closed, his breath came out in pants.

She raced over to the sapling, dragging it across the ground to Inuyasha. "Come on Inuyasha, don't you leave me." She could've sworn she heard a soft "never" escape his lips.


	2. Chapter 2

Kagome's hands were covered with a combination of sludge, blood, and sap. Her body ached and her eyes stung from sweat. She had made the mistake of trying to wipe her forehead with the back of her hand, and now excess mud covered her face. The hot sun shined brightly through the leaves, baking the top of her head. She let out a sullen exasperated groan. _Of all the times for us to split up..._

Earlier that day the gang had gone to explore a nearby village that had been begging them for an exorcism, claiming to be plagued by a snake demon of some sort. On their way to the village, Kagome had sensed a distant sacred jewel shard moving quickly through the forest. The group had diverted course, obtaining jewel shards more important than hunting down pesky demons. That is, until they had heard screaming coming from across the valley and saw black smoke rising high into the sky.

"Seems that the best course of action would be to split up. Sango and I will handle the village with Kirara and Shippo. Inuyasha, Kagome will you be able to obtain the shard?" Miroku asked, calm as ever in pressing situations.

Inuyasha shot an impatient glare. "We've been gathering shards long before your help, lecher."

Miruko gave him a slight eye roll, "Of course, all right, let's move quickly we shall meet back here by sundown." With final words of luck exchanged, Inuyasha and Kagome had set off in the direction of the shard.

The scenery had become a blur as Inuyasha sped across miles within minutes. It had felt like old times, just her and Inuyasha chasing after shards. It had been a long while since they had been alone together.

 _Oh yeah, this is the alone time I was looking for…Sure…_ She half dragged, half stumbled through the forest with Inuyasha in tow on the make shift sled. Both were caked with dirt an inch thick and the smell clinging to them could gag a skunk.

"Don't fall asleep on me, Inuyasha." she commanded "We're almost there,"

"You have no clue where we are, do you?" He scoffed. "Humans and their horrible sense of direction. Keh! Pathetic." This was normal Inuyasha behavior, but in Kagome's mind it seemed forced. His hand still gripped his bloodied shoulder. Staring fixedly at the muddied hilt of Tessaiga, he took deep and measured breaths.

"Can you smell the village or water? Something?" she asked hopefully.

"Nothing beyond the awful stench of swamp ass." He sighed shaking his head slightly, before his golden eyes rolled back into his head.

"Inuyasha!" She put down the small branch and knelt next to him. "Inuyasha?! Inuyasha!" Her hand held the side of his head as strands of white hair stuck to her fingers.

"Quit your yellin', damn woman." He glared up at her "You look like crap. Pft," Inuyasha said with a laugh.

Kagome sat back on her haunches, eyeing him worriedly. Normally Inuyasha's laugh was endearing, but his vulnerability and his comment made her slightly angry.

"Well you look worse," she said softly

Inuyasha's eyes locked with hers. His voice became serious. "I'll be okay. You're not going to let me die." They sat there for long seconds looking at each other. He shook his head again, his ears twitched. "Uh.. I think I hear a river over that way, Kagome."

Kagome felt a blush creep across her cheeks and quickly stood, clapping her hands together. "Okay! Lets go." She pried her sappy fingers apart, picked up the trunk, and continued to drag Inuyasha along the ground.


	3. Chapter 3

"Oi! Watch the rocks!" Inuyasha barked as his head nearly came into contact with a boulder. Kagome panted heavily. She had dragged Inuyasha over a hillside and down a worn rock path, the river bank a tantalizing finish line she desperately wanted to get to. Inuyasha's body may have been battered, but his mouth worked just fine. "Geez, Kagome. I carry you around all the time and I don't make you feel like a two ton cow."

She pulled him up next to the river bank and dropped the branch. When his body hit the ground he let out a hiss of pain.

"Inuyasha..." she warned, her voice deadly. It was taking everything in her soul not to sit him. "You better be so glad you're hurt right now or I would-"

He threw her a defiant glare, "Oh, I'm fine, woman! Give me ten minutes and I'll throw you in the river for nearly splitting my head against the rock!"

She spat back, "Do it! I dare you! Get up right now Inuyasha and prove it." Kagome's patience had long been forgotten, her anger rising with each word he shot at her.

Inuyasha attempted to sit up, hissing and cursing as he fumbled like a turtle on its back. Kagome let her head fall back, looking up at the passing clouds. She needed to get him cleaned up and rested. This was no time to be arguing. She knew the only reason they were bickering was because Inuyasha's pride was taking a hit from his useless state.

She closed her eyes, taking in a slow breath. _Keep it together Kagome, ignore him..._

Taking off her mud soaked shoes and socks she went over to the river's edge, washing off as much dirt as she could. She scrubbed her hands and face in the cold water, deciding she would have to use her socks as rags. There wasn't much choice. Kagome turned to Inuyasha and started to pull off his haori.

Inuyasha screeched, "The fuck are you doing Kagome?!"

Kagome let out an incoherent wail, "Shut up! Just shut up and let me take care of you!"

His lips pressed tight together, golden eyes wide, taken aback by her outcry.

Kagome continued, still yelling, "I know you're hurt, Inuyasha. Just grow up enough to not make this more difficult than what it already is!"

Inuyasha's response was a small nod. She continued to pull off his robe and undershirt. His chest was marked with lines of mud and sweat from his neck. The purple puncture mark oozed with brown puss. She could see faint blue lines extending out like lightning across his shoulder. Kagome wrapped her arms around his chest, pulling him awkwardly into the shallow bank. She heard him take a sharp intake of breath as she lowered him into the water.

Kagome winched, "Sorry."

"It's okay," was his soft reply

Letting him float in the river bank, she set to work cleaning the wound, the water around them becoming a foggy brown. The top of her fingers came into contact with something hard. _Oh man..._

Gripping his shoulder from beneath his back she steadied him and said, "Just relax okay? I need to pull the rest of the stinger out."

Closing his eyes and with a shaky breath he nodded. He hissed as she gripped the piece with her fingers muttering a string of apologies. Inuyasha cried out as the tip was expelled from the wound, his head falling back into the water with a splash.

He gazed blearily up at her, "Thanks…" Inuyasha's breathing had become steadier and his shoulders sagged from released tension.

"I'm sorry I didn't pull it sooner," Kagome apologized, feeling disappointed with herself for not checking the wound sooner.

The skin near the wound started to knit itself slowly back together. Looking down, she noticed his toes starting to wiggle in the water. A wave of relief washed over her. Inuyasha's healing ability never ceased to amaze her.

Kagome ran her hands over his chest, wiping off any leftover mud. She moved to his neck, her nails scratching lightly along his hairline. Inuyasha was easy to move as he floated next to her. Propping his head on her legs, she ran her hands through his hair pulling out knots and clumps of dirt. Taking careful and slow work of wiping his face. Her fingers massaged small circles on his scalp. A deep rumble vibrated through him. Kagome took satisfaction in rubbing his ears and the twitching it elicited from him.

Wiggling his head in her lap he chuckled sleepily, "Hey stop it woman, leave my ears alone."

Kagome giggled. "No way, I earned this."


	4. Chapter 4

They sat there on the edge of the river bank. Relief cascaded through her body as the tension eased out of Inuyasha's shoulders and his head nestled perfectly in her lap. Closing her eyes, she focused on the feeling of soft fuzz between her fingers and the sounds of the lazy river passing. Exhaustion started to pound behind her eye lids. She wanted to be clean and sleep the day away. Truth be told, she wanted Inuyasha to be well enough so she could snuggle against his warm back as they returned to the others.

Kagome barely registered Inuyasha moving away from her grasp. Her eyes flew open, hands springing forward to catch the drifting hanyou, only to come in contact with his chest. Inuyasha had turned to face her. He knelt on the river bank before her, a worried expression displayed on his face, along with an emotion Kagome couldn't quite figure out.

"Inuyasha?" He didn't answer her. She watched as he placed his hands over hers, slowly moving them up her arms. A lump formed in her throat as a flush raced across her skin. Her darting eyes tried to find a crack in his unreadable expression.

He scooped his arm around her back and she realized that he was pulling her into the water.

"Wait, what are you doing?" The words spilled out of her in a breathy whisper. Normally Kagome could easily grab hold to the folds of his robe but currently her hands were splayed across a hard expanse of slick, warm skin. It was as though her brain had taken holiday without her. She became even more tense and panicked as he pulled her into his arms.

Her voice was a screech, "Inuyasha! What. Are. You. Doing?" each word punctuated by a breath.

Inuyasha's stormy expression broke and he pulled her into his arms, crushing her against him.

"Just…" His words seemed to be hitting a wall in his mind. "Just shut up..."

Her heart thundered in her ears. Even with the cool water encasing them, her skin felt aflame. She felt hot. Too hot. And shutting her eyes had been a mistake because it made her sense of hearing focus solely on the words spoken in her ear.

"Don't make this any harder… Just let me… Take care of you." The way his words sounded pained and pleading were enough to break her heart in half.

She nodded against his chest.


End file.
